SEER-MCache: A Prefetchable Memory Object Caching System for IoT Real-Time Data Processing

Memory object caching systems, such as Memcached and Redis, have been proved to be a simple and high-efficient middleware for improving the performance of Internet of Things (IoT) devices querying the database in cloud. However, its performance guarantee is built on the fact that the target data, queried by the IoT device, will be accessed many times and hit in the caching system. Therefore, when database system is handling the unrepeated IoT queries, it usually presents the suboptimal performance, which greatly impairs the efficiency of real-time data processing on IoT devices. To improve this issue, we propose Seer-MCache, the memory object caching system with a smart prefetching (read-ahead) function, to fill up the caching system with the desired data before the intensive IoT queries arriving. Seer-MCache includes a set of rules to launch the specific behaviors of read-head. These rules are able to be customized according to the workload characteristics and system load. We implement a prototype system in Redis (caching layer) and MySQL server (database system). Extensive experiments are conducted to verify the effectiveness of Seer-MCache, the results show that Seer-MCache can improve the performance of read-intensive workload up to 61% (39.5% in average). Meanwhile, the cost of the read-ahead behavior is moderate and controllable

Gauge theory description of Rydberg atom arrays with a tunable blockade radius

We discuss a Rydberg atom chain with a tunable blockade radius from the gauge theoretic perspective. When the blockade radius is one lattice spacing, this system can be formulated in terms of the PXP model, and there is a $\mathbb{Z}_2$ Ising phase transition known to be equivalent to a confinement-deconfinement transition in a gauge theory, the lattice Schwinger model. Further increasing the blockade radius, one can add a next-nearest neighbor (NNN) interaction into the PXP model. We discuss the interpretation of NNN interaction in terms of the gauge theory and how finite NNN interaction alters the deconfinement behavior and propose a corresponding experimental protocol. When the blockade radius reaches two lattice spacing, the model reduces to the PPXPP model. A novel gauge theory equivalent to the PPXPP model is formulated, and the phases in the two formulations are delineated. These results are readily explored experimentally in Rydberg quantum simulators.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures; a few more references added compared to the published versio

Evidence for Efficiency in Chinese Abbreviations

In Mandarin Chinese, abbreviation happens commonly to compound words across different syntactic categories. What is the motivation behind this shortening of words? This paper presents an investigation of this phenomenon from an information-theoretic point of view. A corpus study was conducted to measure the average amount of information contained in the full (long) form and the abbreviated (short) form of words given certain contexts. The amount of information was then compared between the long and short forms of a word, revealing that the short one usually contains less information, and therefore is more likely to be used in more predictive contexts. This result indicates that speakers of Chinese can choose to use shorter words when the context is more predictive, in accordance with considerations of efficiency

Implications of Herder Attitudes for Stocking Rates in China and Mongolia

Over-grazing of the grasslands in China and Mongolia is a common problem. Herders typically aim to increase their animal numbers to then hopefully, improve their status and incomes. Various studies have shown that stocking rates often need to be halved to restore grasslands to a sustainable state. Governments have been enacting policies to achieve a reduction in stocking rates, especially in China. However, in both countries, herders have freedom to set their own stocking rates. A survey was done of ~900 herders in Inner Mongolia, on the five main grassland types, to define their styles, attitudes and intentions for stocking rates, their desired stocking rates and how that related to actual and recommended stocking rates and the implications for policies designed to rehabilitate degraded grasslands. Most herders only provide minimal inputs to livestock relying primarily on grasslands for fodder. Herders were grouped into four main types, those who intended to increase or decrease stocking rates Vs their actual stocking rates as a function of their desired stocking rates (+/-). They varied from those who had less than their desired stocking rates yet intended to reduce them further, to those who had more than their desired stocking rates and were intending to increase them. There was a general relationship within villages between the ratio of desired to actual stocking rates and actual number of animals held by the household. This general relationship indicated that within a village the herder’s actual ‘desire’ was for a specified number of animals, rather than a specified stocking rate. Similar attitudes prevail in Mongolia where herders do not think about animals per hectare. The policy implications are discussed

Framing Effect and Pastoralist Decision Making Behavior Regarding Lambing Time-An Analysis from Inner Mongolia, China

Grassland is the largest terrestrial ecosystem in China. However, it is seriously degraded. Lower stocking rates have been necessary for rehabilitating the degraded grassland. In order to rehabilitate the grassland the government proposed the “balancing animals and grass” policy. However, it has been resisted by pastoralists. (Brown et al., 2009). The reasons for the policy’s failure have been widely discussed. To date, there has been a lack of discussion on explicitly addressing the role of pastoralist behavior regarding stock numbers and lambing time. The pastoralists continue to maintain their traditional stocking rate, and take short-term adaptive measures to balance their animal’s needs with feed supply. Winter lambing is considered as one of efficient measures rehabilitating grasslands degradation. In northern China, however, those pastoralists generally buy little forage for sheep and lambs. Because they would graze the livestock, including lambs, on the grassland in the early growing season. However, early season growth on the grasslands is unpredictable and winter lambing could increase the grazing pressure and exacerbate degradation problems. If pastoralists have enough forage supply and sheds for stall-feeding, they could choose to lamb in winter and at the same time comply with the grazing-rest policy. Under the Household Contract Responsibility System, the pastoralists hold the grasslands and breed livestock themselves, and their decisions have both direct and indirect impact on the balance between animal needs and forage supply. However, unpredictable markets and climate change result in pastoralists facing increasingly more decisions making about lambing time and buying forage. Thus, it is becoming imperative to understand how pastoralists make decisions and the biases they exhibit. The framing effect is observed when a decision maker’s risk tolerance depends on how the alternatives are described. Many empirical studies have been conducted to demonstrate and investigate the framing effect in different contexts. Similarly, many theories have been developed to explain human decision making behavior based on gains and losses. However, little is known about pastoralist decision making behavior from a “framing effect” perspective, especially in pastoral areas of northern China. Early research has indicated agricultural decisions vary substantially by ethnicity (Heinimann et al., 2013). In northern China, the majority of pastoralists are with Mongolian background. They have their own culture, values and norms. While most Han pastoralists migrated from agricultural areas, generally take into account more economic interests when making decisions, More importantly, for all those pastoralists who livelihoods depend solely on grassland resources, stockbreeding not only supplies them with monetary income, but also many economic outputs. All these aspects have a substantial impact on pastoralists’ making decisions. Their decisions are an important factor to consider in policy formulation and implementation. However, the importance of ethnicity tends to be ignored in addressing grassland sustainability issues. The objective of this study is to explore the pastoralist decision-making behavior about lambing time, and to propose potential and efficient measures for controlling degradation problems for sustainable grassland development

How to Motivate Engineering Education Faculty for Instructional Innovation: The Digital Leadership Effectiveness Test

Faculty instructional innovation is the driving force behind engineering education reform and an important guarantee to promote the modernization of engineering education. With the advent of the digital era, digital leadership has become a key factor in encouraging faculty instructional innovation. Therefore, based on resource conservation theory and social cognition theory, this study explores the relationship between digital leadership, digital self-efficacy, and engineering education faculty instructional innovation and analyzes the mediating role of digital self-efficacy. Through the analysis of 316 valid samples, the results show that digital leadership and digital self-efficacy have a significant positive impact on engineering education faculty instructional innovation. Digital leadership also has a significant positive impact on digital self-efficacy, and digital self-efficacy plays a mediating role in the effect of digital leadership on engineering education faculty instructional innovation. This study reveals the impact and mechanism of digital leadership on engineering education faculty instructional innovation and provides empirical support for improving faculty instructional innovation in engineering education